The field of this invention is walking aids which are required by persons with walking disabilities requiring more support than is provided by a cane or crutches. Such devices, called walkers, are well known in the art and invariably comprise a three sided framework usually of tubular metal with handgrips located at the top of the left and right side frame members. The user, grasping the handgrips, walks into the space formed by the three sides of the device and then raises it and places it in a forward position. The user than walks to the forward position still grasping and handgrips, and then repeats this cycle.
The present invention comprises a walker of the type described which is equipped with a seat on which the user may rest when not walking. The seat is designed so that an invalid with limited use of his legs may safely, easily, and comfortably seat himself and arise when he desires to resume walking. The seat is designed so that it can be retrofitted to many existing walkers either with no modifications or with only slight modifications. Also, the seat may be easily stowed on one side of the walker frame when not needed, or it can be completely removed. The seat may be used with a well known folding walker and when in the stowed position thereon, it will not interfere with the folding thereof.
Walkers have been equipped with seats in the past, for example see U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,533, Frank; U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,967, Kirkpatrick; U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,349, Neufeld; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,101, McCague et al, however the present walker has important features and advantages not found in any of these prior art walkers.